Thanks Don. I really get upset with the ongoing fiction that the war was started because of slavery. We are currently fighting the same battle today. The battle is progressive, big, northern/eastern all powerful federal govt vs individual, states rights, liberty. I may have used the word invasion improperly ( see Kate's entry) but when you know that it was a union squad that came through and torched your home and farm and left the wife to die of exposure it feels like an invasion. It certainly is an invasion of your property and person. We know it was Union soldiers because our relative found out who the leader was and traveled into Illinois; verified the person and shot him dead on his doorstep. Such were the times. Missouri relatives had similar circumstances which caused 4 brothers who were neutral to become members of the Quantrill's band until they were old enough to join the regular army. Jay Hawkers and Union soldiers hung their father before their mother and them selves; then burned the house down. You can read about it in the famous Watt's letters. Anyway, time to stop ranting. Thanks again